As summer rolls through Temecula Valley Wine Country, all the winemakers in the area are frantically preparing for harvest. The grapes are well into veraison; the time period when grapes turn from green to purple. During this short span of a few weeks, there is plenty to do in preparation for Harvest. The vineyard crew has been trained to go through the vineyards and discard the unwanted clusters. If a cluster of grapes is too far away from the cordon (the principal vine) it is to be dropped. Pee-wee clusters (a small secondary cluster) are also discarded because they will ripen at a different pace versus the primary cluster.
As winemakers we are constantly in the vineyards, tasting the fruit and bringing back samples to the lab to run basic test. By examining the Brix (measurement of sugar), PH and the total acidity, we get valuable insight into which block and varietal will be harvested first. However, the numbers will only take you so far. During harvest it’s not only the science of winemaking but a winemaker’s experience that gets the team through harvest. Taking the time to truly taste the fruit and understand the varietal in each individual vineyard is what makes the difference in the end. It’s not uncommon to hear the old timer winemakers boast about how many harvests they have under their belt. This year marks my 21st, but I was in a very fortunate position as my father got me involved in winemaking when I was only ten years old.
Harvest is the Super Bowl for winemakers. As the Quarterback in this multiple month long game the winemaker is calling the shots on when and what block to harvest, what tank to put the fruit in, and what he wants done to each individual lot. If a problem occurs the team looks to the winemaker to fix whatever the issue may be. The days are ungodly long and the work isn’t glamorous; it’s sticky and dirty but worth every minute. You see, unlike the spirits or beer industry, winemakers only get one shot at making wine each year. I often compare it to a golfer perfecting his swing but only being allowed to swing the club once a year. I equate a successful harvest to getting all the wines in and out of primary fermentation and into barrels without issues, no machinery break downs, and most importantly no safety incidents.
All year we talk about last year’s harvest, the long hours spent in the cellar and on the crush pad, and plans on how to improve harvest the following year. Then July comes along and that’s when the conversation gets real and the sleeves get rolled up because it’s time to buckle down and get after it. July is coming to an end and harvest has arrived in the Temecula Valley; the pressure is on. For those wineries making white wines, they are in full harvest prep mode if they haven’t already started. Some of the latest reports I’ve heard the first white grapes are already being harvested and made in to Champagne…oh wait we’re in California, I meant they are being made into “Sparkling Wine.” For me, the end of July marks the final thirty-day countdown. Being a much smaller winery, my father and I begin to do shakedown maintenance on all the tractor equipment first and foremost. We know how to turn a few wrenches and we feel that keeping our farm equipment in a regular service program only backs our odds of having an incident-free run through harvest.
From there we move onto our crush pad equipment. We set up and station all the equipment in its place to make the crush pad run efficiently and effectively. Once it’s all in working order the initial sanitation rinse takes several hours, making sure all the machinery that will be in contact with the fruit is clean and ready to go. We will sanitize the equipment daily through the processing stage of harvest! The maintenance and preparation take us right through late August. As the first of the blocks of vineyard is picked, the madness begins. For the next sixty days or so the entire family is totally committed and focused on the harvest. I love harvest season because this is when we get to truly put all our passion and experience on the line and create the foundation for the next great vintage of wine to share with our loyal wine club members and fans. It’s the most grueling part of the job, but also the most extraordinary and fulfilling part of it as well.
